


It Depends

by tornandfrayed



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, I Feel Comfortable Using Legal Jargon in Everyday Life, Santos Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28761384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornandfrayed/pseuds/tornandfrayed
Summary: “I swear people act like Sam is the only lawyer in the building. I’m going to start signing my e-mails as ‘Josh Lyman, esquire.’”
Relationships: Josh Lyman/Donna Moss
Comments: 16
Kudos: 89





	It Depends

He’s exiting the Roosevelt Room when a flash of familiar blonde hair catches his attention. “Hey!” Josh calls as he jogs slightly to catch up with her.

Donna starts in surprise but offers a gentle smile as Josh puts his hand at her lower back, “Hey.”

“What are you doing over here?”

“I _was_ looking for Sam,” she says as Josh turns her in the opposite direction to walk back towards his office, “I checked your old office, but he wasn’t there.”

“Why are you looking for Sam?”

“I have a legal question,” she shrugs. 

“A legal question?”

“Yes.”

“And you wanted to ask Sam?”

Donna only nods slowly, “Well seeing as he is a lawyer, yes.”

“Ask me. I’m a lawyer.”

“I need a real lawyer,” she scoffs.

“Oh, that’s right,” Josh stuffs he hands in his pockets as he jaunts around the corner and into his office, “I must have dreamt I graduated from Yale Law.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I swear people act like Sam is the only lawyer in the building,” he complains as he sits down in his chair and tosses his cellphone lightly on the desk. “I’m going to start signing my e-mails as ‘Josh Lyman, esquire.’”

“ _Esquire_.” Donna rolls her eyes and props herself against the corner of his desk, “Did you even take the bar exam?”

It’s Josh’s turn to roll his eyes as he sorts through the mountain of memos in his inbox. “Did I even take the bar exam, she asks. Yes, I took the bar exam.”

“Really?”

“Yes!” he insists, eyeing her critically, “What, you don’t believe me?”

“I don’t know,” Donna defends, “I’ve known you for a decade and its never come up.”

“I assure you;” he nods, finding the file he was searching for and jerking it open. “I took the bar exam.”

“Where?”

“New York.”

Donna raises a skeptical eyebrow. “You’ve never lived in New York.”

He brushes her off. “My dad wanted me to take it. You know, carry on the family name.”

“Right,” she says, dragging out the word in order to tease him, “Did you pass?”

“Don’t insult me. Of course, I passed.”

“But Sam passed the bar in New York _and_ California. That must mean he’s twice the lawyer you are.”

“I’m not really sure that’s how it works,” he says eyes skimming the latest jobs report. _638,000 jobs were added in October, a continued slowdown in job growth._ Never one to concede a point, he continues indignantly, “Plus, if anything, I’m the better lawyer because I went to the best law school, his doesn’t even crack the top ten.”

“Yeah, but the California Bar is supposedly the hardest.”

“Oh, come on, they’re all hard.”

Donna ruffles his hair patronizingly as she stands from the corner of the desk, “I’m sure they are honey.”

“So?” Josh prompts, looking up at her.

“What?”

“What’s your question?”

“You really want me to ask you?” She teases.

“I’m as much of a lawyer as Sam is, I think I can handle your question.”

“Hm,” Donna pauses pretending to consider. “I think I’m still going to ask Sam just to be safe.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, as always, for reading! Your constructive criticism is always welcome!
> 
> Best Regards,
> 
> tornandfrayed, esq.
> 
> If you're interested, follow me on [tumblr!](https://torn--and--frayed.tumblr.com/)


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